Viewing cable 09MOSCOW405, RUSSIA DELAYS DELIVERY OF S-300S TO IRAN?

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S E C R E T MOSCOW 000405
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2019
TAGS: PRELPGOVETTCMCAPMARRMOPSPARMPINRPTER
IR, RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA DELAYS DELIVERY OF S-300S TO IRAN?
REF: A. BEYRLE-BURNS FEBRUARY 18 E-MAIL
¶B. MOSCOW 357
Classified By: DCM Eric Rubin. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
¶1. (S) In response to media reports surrounding the visit of
Iranian Defense Minister Najar to Moscow February 16-18 that
Russia would move ahead with the delivery of the S-300 air
defense missile system to Iran, Ambassador expressed strong
concern to DFM Ryabkov February 17 (ref A). Ryabkov replied
that Moscow had "gotten the message." This followed
Ambassador's demarches on the issue the previous week to
Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Prikhodko and PM FP
Advisor Ushakov, as well as U/S Burns' and NSC Senior
Director McFaul's expressions of strong concern regarding the
possible completion of the delivery with FM Lavrov (ref B),
Prikhodko and Ushakov.
¶2. (SBU) Late February 17, news daily Kommersant reported
that Rosoboronexport spokesman Vyacheslav Davidenko said that
Russia and Iran were "unlikely to agree on deliveries of the
S-300 air defense missile system" during Najar's visit.
Davidenko reportedly said that "nothing has changed as to the
deliveries of S-300 to Tehran" and that "things were unlikely
to change" after Naijar's visit. Press reports February 18
followed up, saying that Russia had "deferred" its plan to
sell S-300's to Iran "in an effort to improve Moscow's
relations with the new Obama Administration." They cited
Rosoboronexport General Director Isaikin's comment that "if
the president and government of the Russian Federation make a
decision, Rosoboronexport must implement it." Isaikin said
Russia had not delivered the system to Iran, but was ready to
do so "if ordered." Daily Izvestiya also reported that DFM
Ryabkov said that Russia "saw to it that its military
cooperation is transparent and in keeping with international
law."
¶3. (C) Israeli DCM Yuval Fuchs told us February 17 that FM
Lavrov was in Israel over the weekend and assured the GOI
that Russia was not supplying any S-300 missiles to any
countries in the Middle East. According to Fuchs, Lavrov
failed to give any heads up to the GOI about Najar's visit
this week. Fuchs added that Rosatom head Sergey Kiriyenko
and Deputy FM Aleksey Borodavkin will make separate trips to
Iran later this month. Kiriyenko will travel to discuss
Iran's nuclear facility at Bushehr, while Borodavkin is going
for consultations.
¶4. (C) Comment. Russian officials appear to have stepped
back, at least temporarily, from announcing a delivery of the
S-300's, but pressure will remain within the military and
security services to move forward as much for financial
reasons as for political or foreign policy considerations.
The prospect of more constructive U.S.-Russian relations may
have tempered the GOR response, but we will continue to be
told that Russia retains its "right" to proceed with an arms
sale that does not violate national or international regimes.
For better or for worse, the delivery of S-300's have become
a barometer of our bilateral relations.
BEYRLE